Open enrollment

A college has become a university. It is leaving its faults behind and never looking back. The standards are being raised and the quality of education is rising to an outstanding level. The facilities and departments are upgrading. Tuition has increased, but the admissions requirements stay the same. UVU keeps its open admissions policy. Anyone can go to college.

As seniors in high school, my friends and I, in keeping with fashion, became academically promiscuous — soliciting the favor of various institutions of higher learning. The efforts of my peers concentrated primarily on BYU, Utah State and Snow College, and a few of my buddies even applied to such prestigious universities as Harvard and Yale. I, on the other hand, only applied to UVU and Utah State. I sailed right through the admission requirements for USU, and of course, as does everyone else, I got into UVU.

When I informed my classmates that I would be attending UVU and they reported to me that they were attending some other institution, often times they would react in a condescending manner. “You didn’t get into Utah State?” and “Oh. I’m sorry,” were just a couple of the reactions I received. But I knew that I was going to be participating in an exceptional digital media program, better than any around, so I was not ashamed. But it’s a fact that our school is often looked down upon because of our open admissions policy.

Even if lax admission requirements were implemented, they would legitimize our university status. UVU is an excellent institution with a great number of exceptional programs. No one should be ashamed to attend this university. A student should feel a sense of accomplishment for attending UVU — not looked down upon for going to an open admissions school.

Con

by Parker Donat

Having an open-door enrollment policy for UVU means so much to this school, its students and me. For over 37 years, UVU has continued to open the door for all students who want a higher education. Many of those students would likely express opinions in line with one UVU student who said, “Open enrollment is the main reason I go to this school.”

That’s because that student is entirely right about open enrollment. Over 24,000 students attend UVU. That’s over 24,000 students who choose to attend UVU over the competitive, closed-enrollment universities in this state, universities such as USU, the U of U, and BYU. As for me, I go to UVU because I didn’t have to worry about being accepted.

UVU is one of only three universities in Utah that have open admissions policies, the others being Weber State University and the University of Phoenix. Considering geographical concerns, I feel we need UVU to be open enrollment for students in Utah County because over 65% of college-bound Utah County students attend UVU.

As UVU has become more prestigious, it has given the campus a new feel. This point is one that merits emphasis, since so many people believe UVU is a sign-your-name-and-you-get-a-degree school. This sort of attitude is not only unnecessarily negative, but it is also immensely ignorant: According to the 2005 Utah Foundation Report, on average, UVU graduates earn more money than graduates from any other college or university in Utah.

Although it goes without saying that there are students who come to UVU by choice, it’s nothing to be ashamed of that this school also serves sometimes as a last resort. Just because a student is denied entrance to other universities due to a less than stellar academic history does not mean that student is not capable of performing in a university classroom.

As for myself, I was a party fanatic in high school. I preferred parties over mathematics, friends over English, and sleeping over homework. I never gave my relentless teachers or textbooks a chance to create value for myself. Ultimately, I finished high school with bad grades and an SAT score that was, at best, average. I never fully appreciated my educational opportunities. Nonetheless, UVU has given me a chance to prove myself and see my full potential.

Yes, tuition continues to rise, but the school continues to improve. And, even considering the school’s tuition hikes, UVU is the University with the lowest tuition in the state.

I go to UVU because it gives me the opportunity to better myself — because at this fine university, I am given the opportunity to attain a higher level of learning, one that I would otherwise be denied. I want UVU to retain its open admissions policy so that it can help others like me enjoy a higher education.